Today, near the exposed foundations of the original church, a modern chapel dedicated to Saint Clement stands as a testament to the enduring spiritual significance of the site. The remains of the foundational masonry of the original Saint Clement Church, rediscovered during archaeological exploration in 1958, offer a tangible link to the past. Historical documents from 1358 reveal that this location was generously donated to the Augustinian hermits of Brno for the establishment of a church and monastery. However, this promising convent faced severe damage during the Hussite Wars in 1421, leading to the definitive abandonment of the hillfort between the 15th and 16th centuries. Sadly, after the monastery’s demise, its stones were repurposed as building materials for castles like Cimburk and Buchlov, and even for local homesteads.

The Saint Clement Hillfort, easily accessible approximately 500 meters from the road connecting Osvětimany and Koryčany (about 5 km southeast of Koryčany), unfolds on the “Hora sv. Klimenta” (Saint Clement’s Mountain). It’s widely believed that during the Great Moravian Empire, this very spot was home to a significant church and monastery where Saints Cyril and Methodius brought the relics of Saint Clement and where priests of the Slavic rite were educated. Archaeological findings confirm that the hillfort was indeed constructed by Slavs, likely in the mid-9th century.

Following the decline of Great Moravia in the early 10th century, this spiritual center also faded. The site remained abandoned between the 12th and 14th centuries, with new settlement emerging only in the 14th and 15th centuries. It was then that Margrave John Henry of Moravia, brother of Emperor Charles IV, gifted Saint Clement’s Mountain to the Augustinians of Brno. They erected a chapel and a provostry on the site of the original sanctuary, tragically destroyed by the Hussites in 1421. Since the 16th century, the site has remained desolate, its former glory never fully restored. However, in 1863, during the millennium celebrations commemorating the arrival of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Moravia, the importance of this location was re-emphasized with the construction of a wooden chapel, once again dedicated to Saint Clement.

Believers annually commemorate the significance of this site on the Sunday of Pentecost (a movable feast), with the “Hora sv. Klimenta” falling under the spiritual administration of the Roman Catholic Parish Office in Osvětimany.

Even today, the impressive earthworks and ditches that fortified the entire hillfort are clearly visible, forming three distinct defensive belts:

• a) Central Enclosure: The heart of the hillfort, encompassing the church, is encircled by a 6-9 meter wide main rampart with an inward-facing ditch, forming an oval shape.

• b) Outer Rampart: An external rampart with a ditch extending away from the hillfort, shaped rectangularly along a north-south axis.

• c) Advanced Rampart: A forward-positioned rampart.

The dominant feature of the hillfort was the church, situated on an oval plateau, possibly an artificially leveled hilltop. Only the remnants of its foundational masonry are visible today. The church underwent several construction phases:

• Earliest Section: The eastern chancel, dating back to the 9th century.

• Second Phase: The nave was added to the chancel, likely towards the end of the 9th century.

• Final Additions: The narthex and supporting pillars, dating from the medieval period, were the last to be built.

In 1969, the remains of the foundational masonry were protected by a stone masonry model, and the entire hillfort was officially declared a national cultural monument.